MAY 27, 1996

Ford to stop customer engines in 1997

FORD MOTOR SPORT bosses have decided that there will be no customer V8 engines in 1997, although the Sauber team is being offered the chance to run the Zetec-R V10 engine alongside the new Stewart Grand Prix operation. Saubers engines will be less advanced than those supplied to Stewart.

This does not, however, mean that there will not be Cosworth-built customer engines available for small teams such as Minardi and Forti. Cosworth may chose to rebadge the V8s "Cosworth" - as happened in the late 1980s - and continue to make profit from the lucrative business of customer engine supply. There is constant pressure on Cosworth to make large profits as the company is part of the Vickers group - which also owns the Rolls Royce car company - and is largely owned by private shareholders.